Published 7:20 pm, Friday, March 25, 2011

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City officials behind the hiring of George Rodriguez swear up, down and sideways that nepotism played no part in appointing him temporary traffic violations officer, a process that at least was facilitated by his sister, Tania Barnes, who works in the city's Human Resources Department.

But the picture that has emerged as those officials have tried to explain how Rodriguez was hired, is one of an employment "process" that stretches the meaning of the word.

Emails that criss-crossed city hall at the time, and recent interviews with The Advocate, reveal how the city defines it: Authorization to hire someone does not have to be written, there is no step-by-step hiring procedure, and a job can be offered to someone before a finance officer signs off on paying for it.

The Human Resources Department has no rules regarding hiring employees' relatives, although the city Code of Ethics does touch on nepotism; and the chain of command can be tough to define, even for people in it.

Without clear government policies in place, the appearance of abuse is bound to materialize at some point - and, by the way, so is abuse itself. (In this kind of environment, is it any wonder that former Human Resources employee Fred Manfredonia was able to steal $350,000 from the city?)

In the case of Tania Barnes and her brother, at least the impression of nepotism is there.

The traffic violations officer position opened when longtime officer Barbara Schmidt died at her home Dec. 10, 2009. That day, Barnes and Operations Director Ernie Orgera began the process of filling it temporarily.

Rodriguez's hiring was set just over a month later. He was hired days before a finance officer signed a form verifying funding.

Officials behind the hiring say it was important to act quickly because the traffic violations officer brings money into the city by issuing tickets. But there was no urgency when it came to filling the job permanently. Provisional positions like the one given Rodriguez last six months. The permanent post wasn't advertised until five months after Schmidt died. It took the city eight months to administer the test that produces a list of candidates for the post.

Was the intent all along to maneuver Rodriguez into the permanent spot? An intent that was squashed when he was arrested for shoplifting in Norwalk? That's speculation. But when governmental procedure is this slip-shod, speculation is to be expected, and it is fair.

City officials can expect more speculation, about this and who knows what else, unless they change culture and define policy.

Troubling evidence of an overly lax atmosphere in city government abounds in this case. An example: Three months after Rodriguez was hired, the assistant director of Human Resources, who is Tania Barnes' supervisor, revealed in a email that he was unaware the position had been filled.

That means one of two things: Somebody was trying to keep the hire quiet, or the Human Resources department needs some serious organizing. Not re-organizing. Organizing.

First, however, a very clear nepotism policy must be adopted. Maybe Barnes did not pull a single string on her brother's behalf. She still processed and signed paperwork regarding his hiring. That simply should not happen.

The city also must educate employees about its Ethics Code, which says, in part: "A city employee shall not `participate in a decision or action' by the agency for which the employee works if the employee or a family member could benefit."

Hiring and ethics are not esoteric matters for the fine print of dusty employee manuals. They are basic. And the basics should be spelled out in concrete policy that is crystal clear to all. Until that is the case, the opportunity for abuse is abundant and trust in government will erode.